Comparison Between Goldfish And Monkey's Paw

In this day and age, who wouldn’t want to be able to be given the opportunity to have three wishes granted to them? One might think that this would be an easy decision, however, if only three wishes could be given, how would one determine what desire is of utmost importance to them. The decision regarding what to wish for would require much thought and consideration otherwise it could result in a dangerous and serious consequence. In both “What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?” and “Monkey’s Paw”, three wishes were granted by both a goldfish and a special paw. There were different ideas of what the wishes would consist of. Each would result in a different outcome that would be used to teach the character a lesson. In the story “What, …show more content…
While interviewing people for his documentary, Yonatan knocks on Sergei’s door. Sergei tells him to leave. Yonatan notices a goldfish in Sergei’s house. Sergei tells him there is nothing special about the goldfish in hopes that Yonatan will leave. Refusing to leave, Yonatan goes to reach for the fishbowl. Sergei thinks that Yontan came specifically to steal Sergei’s fish. He hits Yonatan in the head with a burner from the stove. The fish begins talking to Sergei telling him that he could use his third and final wish to bring Yonatan back to life. The goldfish was not only a magical goldfish, but a special friend to Sergei and has the power to change everything. In “Monkey’s Paw”, a family friend, Sergeant Major Morris visits the White’s. They urge him to take a small, mummified paw out of his pocket. He explains that a holy man cast a spell on the paw that allowed three men to be given three wishes each. The sergeant and another man had already received their three wishes. Not wanting the paw to cause any more problems than it already had, the sergeant threw the paw into the fire. Mr. White quickly takes it out. The major warns him to leave the paw alone but eventually explains to him how to make a wish on the …show more content…
In “What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish”, the moral is that one’s wish may not necessarily bring happiness. When Yonatan was interviewing different people about what they would wish for, he would edit the responses and make note of the surprising ones. Some responses were more powerful than others. The answers given would reflect what would bring each of those individuals happiness. Sergei realized that the goldfish is what brought him true happiness. He avoided using his last wish because he knew his friendship with the goldfish would end. There was no wish that would bring him the happiness the goldfish did. After the last wish, Sergei would no longer have a choice and would have to let his friend go. In contrast, the moral of “Monkey’s Paw” is that fate rules men’s lives. It is important to be careful what is wished for because it just may happen. The White’s downfall is wishing for something more than what they really need by being greedy. It leads to unfulfilled expectations and consequences that are not expected such as their son’s unexpected death. The monkey’s paw is a symbol of greed and desire. Mr. White takes the paw from the fire even though he is unsure about would he would even wish for. Greed had taken over his way of